I was going through some old posts on our online cast discussion group. Kenny (who plays “Joe” and is also now my roommate in our happy “armaghetto chic” pad in L.A.) invited his co-players out for a weekend at his parents’ place in Granger, Indiana. This event would forevermore be known as “trippin’ fest 1.” (trippin fest 2 & 3 would come two years later…)
As the posts about the upcoming event got increasingly rowdy and lascivious, and knowing it was still a whole month before our shoot, I felt compelled to write some amusingly naïve words of caution about conflict-prevention in pre-production, Oh boy…
JUNE 12, 2006
Hey again.
Glad it looks like many of you can make it on the 24th and, Kenny, I know you’re just being playful, but I’m gonna get a little den-mothery on y’all for a second, so please bear with me and my prudish ways.
While I think it’s great everybody’s going to get together, bond and likely engage in some party-like festivities, I would suggest that nobody get too drunk or otherwise unusually chemically-altered together as different folks react differently under such circumstances and it’s really important that we all remain on comfortable, happy terms with one another.
It’s going to be an intensive 2 weeks of shooting and that’ll suck if people have already had altercations (is “Living in Oblivion” on the suggested viewing list? if not it should be – a perfect example of this occurs.) We’re all being thrown into fairly intimate relationships very quickly as it is and we don’t want to risk any early misunderstandings. God, you have no idea how it pains me to be writing these words. I feel so old and lame right now. Ugggh.
Anyway, I’m not saying “just say no” here – I’m merely suggesting you not say “yes” to too much. Let’s keep very open lines of communication. And if there are likely to be any romantic hook-ups, as has been known to happen on past sets with sketchy results, probably best to wait to surrender to hormonal urges until after the shoot. Again, I know this is lame talk and you don’t need this lecture. Chalk it up to my obsessive compulsive nature and a couple incidents from the past that still haunt me.
Also, while I am very cool with people exploring their roles together and workshopping the script a bit when I’m not present (though of course I’ll be there for trippinfest – just try and keep me away!), it needs to be very casual, meaning – I don’t want anybody directing anybody else’s performance.
Playing around with blocking ideas and discussion is great. However, I reserve the right to direct. I am very open to your ideas and see our film as a collaboration and not “the Devi show,” but as you will come to see, there are definite things I’m less flexible about and it’s easier if we work together on them from the get-go.
Okay, I’ll remove the broomstick for now and cease the unnecessary lecture. Something you should know about me is I have an annoying tendency to state the obvious sometimes. This is no reflection on you guys or any indication that I don’t have confidence in you.
It’s pure obsessive compulsion (like when Agustin tells me about performing a monkey necropsy before preparing our lunch and I feel compelled to ask him if he washed his hands. Of course he did – I know it, he knows I know it – but he also knows I need to ask anyway.) Maybe we should add a few episodes of “Monk” to the suggested viewing list so you’ll know what to expect from me behavior-wise….
Thanks for your understanding.
cheers,
Devi
Needless to say, even I did not heed all of my own sage advice. It’s hard to recall exactly what all happened that crazy weekend, but I’m fairly certain a very good time was had by all. More importantly, much happy bonding occurred and if anything I think the experience only added to the authenticity of the characters’ relationships with one another. Ironically, Nicole (Jizz) couldn’t make it, so even she was in character as the “party-pooper” that weekend.